The present invention relates to the manufacture of tires, and more particularly, to the type of apparatus described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,795,523 and 4,801,344.
Such an apparatus is intended for the manufacture of reinforcements for tires from a single thread. Among its essential elements, this apparatus comprises means for the retention of the thread, which means are borne by levers referred to in the above patents by the expression "support arms". This apparatus also comprises means for presenting the thread to the retaining means. In the examples described, these presentation means are formed of a rotary arm which assures the unwinding and the hooking of the thread to the retaining means; the thread-retaining means are formed of a pair of hooks and the unwinding of the thread is assured from an orifice located at the end of the rotary arm.
The object of the present invention is to propose other novel means for presenting the thread to the retaining means.
According to the invention, the apparatus for the manufacture of a tire reinforcement, said reinforcement being formed from a single thread, said apparatus being of the type comprising two coaxial crowns of levers, the ends of which bear means for the retaining of the thread, and means for the presentation of the thread to the retaining means, is characterized by the fact that said presentation means have a presentation head which is hooked to and carried by an endless flexible strand, said strand being mounted on at least two guide wheels, the axes of rotation of which are perpendicular to the axis of the crowns, said wheels being arranged in the vicinity of the retaining means, and by the fact that the presentation means have an orifice which conducts said thread substantially in the plane of said strand.
For an understanding of the principle of manufacture used in the present invention, as well as the apparatus in which the invention is used, reference may be made to the U.S. patents referred to above, as well as for a description of all the means which are not specific to the present.